Patterson joins Goshen HELP

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Leslie Patterson, a case manager for Northern Wyoming Mental Health in Newcastle, has officially joined the Goshen HELP board as the Weston County low-income representative, after Director Kyle Borger asked Patterson to join. According to Patterson, she was happy to accept the position because she respects the organization’s goals. 
“I was asked to join the board since Goshen HELP is administering the CBSG (Community Service Block Grant) funding in Weston County now. The agency is really invested in hearing from the community and building relationships, and since I was pinch hitting for Align (previous CBSG grant administering agency), they asked me to fill in,” Patterson said. “I’m happy to since the grant is about homelessness prevention and this agency is about building more than BandAid solutions.” 
Goshen HELP is a Torrington-based agency that administers funding, primarily from the federal grant, for Weston, Niobrara, Washakie, Goshen, Crook and Carbon counties, in conjunction with the Wyoming Department of Health. 
“Our contract with the Wyoming Department of Health stipulates what we will do in a year. This year, we were contracted to provide affordable housing assistance, through rent and utility assistance, as well as other things to help people stay in their homes or get into a home in Weston County,” Borger said. 
The agency, according to Borger, is more than just financial help, though. He explained that the program is meant to help those who are struggling to become self-sufficient by identifying and addressing the cause of their struggles. 
“We are trying to address the causes of the issues and help people stay in their homes or obtain housing. We want to make sure they are going to be okay the month after too,” Borger said. 
According to Borger, Patterson was a good fit for the board because of her work with Northern Wyoming Mental Health and with some of the same population that Goshen HELP will work with in the community. Her said that her master’s degree is in social work and her status as a provisionally licensed clinical social worker is a bonus. 
“I’m happy to be a community contact and help Goshen HELP build programming and provide services specific to Weston County’s needs,” Patterson said. 
Goshen HELP plans to work with local agencies and seek input from the community members in Weston County. The goal, Borger said, is to best serve the community and really address the low-income housing issue in Weston County. 
The primary need, Borger said, is getting the Weston County community involved. 
“What we do in the community — we want to be owned by the community, done by the community and supported by the community. That requires volunteers. We are trying to build connections and opportunities to give back through Goshen HELP. We don’t want to be an outside entity that does stuff but is not part of the community,” Borger said, noting that Patterson joining the board was the first step toward getting the community more involved. 
For more information or to fill out an application, Borger said that people can visit goshenhelp.com, where there is a link to the application and other various assistance programs. Those who might need help navigating the website can call 307-532-0269 Monday through Friday between 1 and 5 p.m. 
“We are working on getting a brochure put together to get our information out there. Right now, it is really easy to get online and fill everything out on the website,” Borger said.